Tarnos - La Digue Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at the surf prospects for the Tarnos stretch over the next couple of weeks. I won’t sugarcoat it – the cupboard is pretty bare for a long stretch here, but there are a few flickers of life if you’re patient.

The overall pattern is slim pickings. We’re looking at a long dry spell of unremarkable, small, and often chopped-out conditions before a couple of cleaner windows pop up way down the line. The early days are dominated by tiny, weak swell and unfavourable afternoon onshores. Expect a big gap of nothing special.

Let’s start with the first real chance. Thursday morning, the 6th of August, at Tarnos - La Digue. It’s a beach/jetty set-up, exposed to the west. The water is sitting at 76°, which is a notable 5° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s a pleasant surprise. The morning sees a weak 3ft swell from the NW, with a short period of 8 seconds, so the energy is pretty low (126 combined energy). The wind is a light, cross-off breeze from the NNE, which should keep it reasonably clean. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. The rest of that day and the following week is a write-off; the wind swings onshore, the swell drops, and conditions get choppy. There’s a consistent run of ‘poor surf conditions’ through the 7th, 8th, 9th, and so on, with only the occasional glassy morning offering barely a ripple.

The next faint pulse comes on Sunday morning, the 9th of August. The swell is tiny at 2ft, but the period stretches out to 10 seconds, and the wind is glassy from the WNW. The energy is still weak (80). It’s another one of those mornings where the ocean looks flat and inviting, but there’s hardly any push.

The real standouts, and the only real reason to get excited, are right at the tail end of the forecast. Thursday morning, the 20th of August, sees a shift. An offshore wind from the E at 6 mph meets a 2ft swell from the NW with a very long 12-second period. The energy is moderate (136). The conditions will be clean, but that small swell and long period means it might be a bit weak and walled up at the beach. It’s still a better option than anything else.

However, the best on offer is Friday morning, the 21st of August. This is the one to mark on the calendar. The swell is a consistent 4ft from the NW, period of 9 seconds, with a light offshore breeze from the ENE. The energy is solidly moderate (183). It’s clean, it’s got some push, and for a beach break, that’s a decent prospect. The crowd factor is a point – Tarnos can get busy, so expect company. Given the doldrums before it, this is the clear winner.

For the rest of the window, it’s a struggle. The afternoons are consistently ruined by cross-onshore winds, and the swell rarely tops 3ft. There’s a small window of glassy conditions on Saturday morning, the 15th, with a risk of thunderstorms, and a 2ft swell – just not enough to get excited about. The pattern is a long, flat run with a couple of clean, small days at the end. It’s not a complete washout, but you’ll be hunting for ankle-biters.

Rusty.

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